Delivery apparatus for confectionery machines



Oct. 14 1924. 1,511,256

A. L. BAUSMAN v DELIVERY APPARATUS FOR CONFECTIONERY MACHINES Filed May12. 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I l 1 l INVENTOR BY WYM ATTORNEYS Oct. 141924. 1,511,256

A. L. BAUSMAN DELIVERY APPARATUS FOR CONFECTIONERY MACHINES Filed May 121923 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Oct. 14 1924.

A. L. BAUSMAN DELIVERY A PPARATUS FOR CONFECTIONERY MACHINES Filed May12, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Oct. 14 1924.

1,511,256 A. L. BAUSMAN DELIVERY APPARATUS FOR CONFEGTIONERY MACHINESFiled May 12,

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR W ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 14, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALONZO LINTON BAUSMAN, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO I\TA-TIONAL EQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORA- TIONOF MIASSACH'USETTS.

DELIVERY APPARATUS FOR CONFECTIONERY MACHINES.

Application filed May 12,

To ail whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALoNzo LINTON BAUsMAN, a citizen of the United.States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in DeliveryApparatus for Confectionery Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

his invent-ion relates to improvements in the delivery apparatus ofconfectionery coating machines.

Confection coating machines, as they are usually constituted, deliverthe coated confections from the coating belt to a series of plaques(such as strips of waned paper) which are detachably secured to anendless delivery belt. These plaques, after being loaded with theconfections, are detached from the belt and manually transferred to aplaque board, or tray, and the latter is then placed on a conveyer Whichcarries the trays in a path of sufficient length, or through coolingmeans, until the coatings on the confections have become hardened.Usually also the conveyor, just referred to, carries the candies pastpacking stations at which operators are located who remove the candiesfrom the trays and pack them,--the empty trays being eventuallydelivered back to a point near the delivery end of the coating machineto receive another plaque.

According to this invention, mechanism is provided to manipulate theplaque board, or tray, which 'was formerly manually moved, and suchmechanism is designed to successively present the trays into confectionreceiving relation with a conveyer of the coating machine andsubsequently remove them therefrom.

According to another feature of the invention, the tray presentingmeans, just described, is designed to receive an empty tray from thetray conveying means of the cooling apparatus, present it to the coatingmachine and subsequently transfer it back to the tray conveying means ofthe cooling apparatus.

According to another feature of the invention, the usual delivery belt,with its detachable plaques, is eliminated and plaque boards, or trays,of the type disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 613,471,filed January 18, 1923, are used in conjunc- 1923. Serial No. 638,652.

tion with the tray presenting and manipulating apparatus described.

The plaque boards, of my prior application, are characterized by plaquesmounted thereon for relative movement and means are provided inconnection with the tray, or plaque board, manipulating apparatus tomove the plaque relatively to the tray while the latter is positioned inconfection receiving relation with the coating machine.

The plaques, which desirably are in the form of endless belts, have anoperating member, such as a cross bar, Which-may also serve to fastenthe ends of the plaque together into endless belt form, and means areprovided on each tray capable of engaging the cross bar of another tray,so that the movement of one tray may be utilized to effect the movementof the plaque on an adj cent stationary tray.

According to another feature of the invention, the plaques, which aremoved relatively to their trays during the operation of load ing themwith confections, are automatically restored to their original positionsafter the confections have been removed therefrom.

According to another feature of the invention, means are provided inconjunction with the coating machine for spacing the confections on theconveying means thereof in such a manner that no confections will passoff such means during the removal of one tray from, and the movement ofa succeeding tray into, confection receiving relation with such means.

According to another feature of the inven tion, the tray presentingmeans operates intermittently and, in the case of coating machineswherein the confection carrying belt normally travels continuously, imay provide means for automatically stopping the belt during theinterval in which a loaded tray is moved out of confection receivingrelation and an empty tr y is moved into such relation.

Other features of the invention will appear in the following descriptionand in the illustrative embodiment of the invention in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. l is a small scale elevational view showing inmore or lessconventional form a tray presenting and manipulating apparatus appliedto a well known type of candy cooling and packing apparatus;

Figs. 2 and 2, when joined together end to end along the dot and dashline AA, affords an elevational view on a larger scale of the adjacentportions of the two apparatus;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view, partly in section, of a plaque board, ortray, having a relatively movable plaque thereon and designed for usewith the apparatus of this invention;

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the right hand end ofthe tray presenting apparatus shown in Fig. 2

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross sectional view of a tray positioning deviceshown in Fig. 2*;

Fig. 7 is an elevational view, showing in conventional form, a wellknown type of candy coating machine and illustrates cer tain features ofthe invention relating to the coordination of the coating machine withthe apparatus shown in Fig. l; and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view, showing the means forspacing the candies supplied to the coating machine.

In these drawings, the invention has been illustrated in connection withits preferred and more common use in conjunction with a confectionerycoating machine and a confectionery conveying, cooling and packingapparatus. That type of coating machine,

illustrated more or less conventionally here-1 in, is of the generaltype disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent No. 735,890 granted August 11,1903011 an invention of E. P. F. Magniez. That type of conveying,cooling and packing apparatus, illustrated more or less conventionallyherein, is of the general type disclosed in U. S. Letters .Patent No.1,123,934, granted January 5, 1915, on an invention of Schrafft, Blakeand Lorentzen. The invention is capable of use to a certain extent witheither apparatus, independently of the other, and it is likewise capableof being readily adapted to other types of coating machines and toothertypes of apparatus for conveying the coated confections until thecoatings are hardened.

The apparatus for conveying, cooling and packing the confections isillustrated in Fig. 1 and includes upper and lower conveyer chains a andZ), which travel horizontally and in an intermittent or step by stepmanner. The lower stretch of conveyer a and the upper stretch ofconveyer 0 travel in opposite directions. Associated with theseconveyers are tWo conveyers 0 and d which travel vertically, in oppositedirections and intermittently,being actuated during periods of rest ofthe horizontal conveyers. A tray, or plaque board, carrying the coatedc'mfections, is placed in the conveyer 0 and carried step by stepupwardly at a relatively slow rate. Each tray eventually comes to restin a position such that it is removed by the lower stretch of conveyer afrom conveyer c and carried step by step in a horizontal path, beingeventually inserted in conveyer d, while the latter is at rest. Conveyer(Z carries the tray step by step downwardly and eventually the tray isremoved therefrom by the upper stretch of conveyer b, which carries thetray along a packing shelf 0, and packers stationed at the shelf removethe candies and pack them,-.the conveyer (Z eventually delivering theempty tray to that end of the apparatus from a tray is supported by andbetween the two pairs of chains by an angle iron on the inner stretch ofeach, after the manner dlsclosed in the second named patent. Theconveyers are supported by suitable sprockets and shafts and these aswell as other parts are suit-ably mounted in aframe A. Conveyers .a andb are connected together by chains 10 (Fig. l) and suitable sprockets atone end of the machine and conveyer a is driven by a chain Z andsuitable sprockets from a shaft m which is intermittently actuated by asuitable mechanism housed within a gear box a. In the latter is a secondshaft 0, which is also intermittently actuated during periods of rest ofshaft m, and the arrangement is such that shaft m operates during thelarger portion of the time, as for example five siXths of the time, onesixth of the time being occupied by the movement of shaft 0. The latter'drives'by bevel gearing a vertical shaft 29 which through reversinggearing g operates two alined shafts r and s in opposite directions andthese shafts carry the sprockets by means of which one pair of chains 2of each conveyer 0 and d are driven. Shafts '1" and s are each connectedby bevel gearing a and across shaft 0 to the operating shaft '10 for theother pair of chains 11 for each conveyer c and d.

Usually the several conveyers described are housed in, as indicated at00, to allow for the circulation of cold air, the more quick ly to coolthe candies, as disclosed in the 15, depending from each side edge, and

"rounded and depending end portions 16 over which a plaque 17 istrained. This plaque 17 may be made of a strip of waxed paperor thelike, and the ends of the strip are brought together beneath the tray inoverlapping relation and suitably held together, as by being clampedbetween the sections of a two piece cross barlS. The ends of this crossbar are supported on the inturned lower edge of the runners 153. Thecross bar 18 constitutes an operating menr her for the plaque and it canbe engaged from below and moved longitudinally to :niifl, plaque itrelatively to tray 21'.

The tray presenting and manipulating apparatus includes a skeleton frameB one end of which is mounted closely adjacent one end of the trayconveying apparatus. Tn frame B is mounted a conveying mean. for movingtrays t in a vertical path, in a step by step manner, and during theperiods of operation of the described conveyers (Z and 0. Such conveyingmeans are generally like conveyers c and (Z and comprise two pairs ofchains 19 mounted in latorally spaced relation. The chains of each pairare mounted on sprockets fixed in hingitudiually spaced relation onupper and lower shafts 20 and 21, both of which are rotatably supportednear their ends in suitable bearings secured to frame B as best shown inFig. 5. Each chain 19 carries a series of angle iron pieces 22 and eachpiece on one chain lies at the same level as a correspoinling piece onthe other 'hrec chains so that four of such pieces are available tosupport a tray 25. The pieces 22, on

one chain of each pair, are preferably not connected to the other chainof the pair in order to permit an intermediate pair of angle irons 23 tobe mounted stationarily in frame as upon two cross bars 24 which attheir ends are connected to longitudinal side bars 23 fixed to frame B.The angle irons 23 constitute a receiving means for an empty deliveredfrom the tray conveying apparatus and are located in substantially thesame plane as the upper stretch of conveyor 7) and intermediate twosuccessive angle irons 22 when the latter are in positions of rest. Eachpair of conveyer chains l9 driven from conveyer by means of chains 26and suitable sprockets which chains connect the lower shafts y ofconveyer c with the shafts The shafts 1 are driven from the upper shaftsof convcyer by chains 26,--those sprockets on shafts 1 which carrychains 2' being loose thereon. I

The usual conveyer b of the tray conveying apparatus is not long enoughto deliver the empty trays onto the receiving means and to accomplishthis result I extend this conveyer by using two conveyor chains 28,arranged} one on each side of chain b as shown in Fig. l. These chainsare mounted on suitable sprockets carried by spaced shafts 29 and 30.These chains overlap to some extent the chain Z) and are driven from thelatter by a chain 31 and suitable sprockets which connects shaft 29 tothe shaft a carrying the end sprockets for chain .A Chains 28 carry lugs82 for engaging the tray and moving it out of the tray conveyingapparatus and onto the tray receiving means to the extent illustrated inFig. 2. The tray is thus positioned so to be subsequently engaged byangle irons on chains 1%) and lifted to the level of the candy carryingbelt 93 of a chocolate coating machine and level.

Each tray t carries a pair which are fixed to the upper face of the traynear the leading edge thereof and arranged one near each side edgethereof, as shown in Fig. 5 so not to interfere with the movement ofplaque 17. These lungs are of suliicient height, and are othcrwise soarranged, that ivlien a tray t is moved toward and onto the receivingmeans 33 the lugs on such tray will engage the cross bar 18 on the traythereabove and. move the latter longitudinally to the left as viewed inif 53, who: icy the upper stretch of plaque l7 will be mo vcd to theright and in the same direction as belt 33 of the coat ing machine.Thus, while one tray is at rest. in receiving relation with the coatingmachine the plaque on such tray is moved relatively theretm to receivethe confections delivered from belt 33 and the operation of the plaqueis t effected by utilizing the horizontal movement of an incurr ng emptytray from the cooling apparatus.

In order that the plaque l7 may be operated in this manner, an abutment3:) provided on the frame of the coating nn. chine against which one endof tray It engages, whereby it is stationarily held during the pushingoperation on cross bar 18 The trays as initially positioned in the eleator chains 19, must necessarily be so disposed as to clear the abutmentwhen they are subsequently lifted. Consequently, supple mentary meansare necessary to move the tray horizontally after it has bee brought torest in substantially the plane of belt l For insuring that the adjacentends of belt 33 and tray are accurately at the same level during thetransfer of coated candies from one to the Otll6l l provide on the frameof the coating machine a stationary cam 36 which is engaged by a roundedend. portion 16 of tray 5 during the supple mentary horizontal movementjust described. whereby said end of the tray will be ele vated, ifnecessary to the exact level desired simultaneously with its movementinto en gagement with abutment to a higher 0 7 2:1. or lugs 3e Thesupplementary horizontal motion, just alluded to, is effected by the useof a push rod 37 (Fig. 2) which is reciprocated at properly timedintervals and imparts push tothe right hand end of tray i to move theopposite end thereof against abutment Rod 37 guided a one end in an eye38 attached to frame A (Fig. 2"). ts other end is slidably supported ina block 39, pivotally mounted centrally on a cross rod 40, which in turnis supported at its ends in a pair of arms 41, fixed to a shaft 42. Rod37 has two abutmcnts and 44 arranged one on each side of block 39 and aspring 45 acts between the latter and abutment 43. The arrangement issuch that rod 37 can yield after it has moved tray 6 against abutment35,the arms 41 neces sarily having a fixed throw which must be in excessof the maximum tray motion required to insure engagement of tray 6 withthe abutment. The rod 42 described carries an arm 46, having a roll toride on the pe riphery of a cam 47, and the latter is fixed to a shaft48, which in turn is driven by spur gearing 49 from shaft 29 heretoforedescribed. A spring 49 tends to move arm 46 so as to hold its roll inengagement with cam 47. The gearing is such that cam 47 makes onecomplete revolution while chains 7) and 28 are moving a tray one stepand the cam is so shaped as to push rod 37 to the left at practicallythe end of the tray move ment.

The plaque operating bars 18 on the trays t are positioned near the lefthand end thereof, when the trays are completely loaded, and necessarilythese bars must be moved to the right hand end of the tray at some timebetween the time when the trays are emptied and the time when theybecome positioned in receiving relation with belt 33. To this end, Iprovide a pair of laterally spaced books 50, one of which is shown in 2which hooks are arranged to engage, one near each end of cross bar 18,as the tray t is moved by chains 28, and hold this bar stationary, whilethe tray continues to move to the left, thus restoring the cross bar 18into the position shown in Fig. 2 in connection with the lower tray 1?.These hooks 50 and cross bar 18 are automatically disengaged as chains19 rise and remove tray 25 to the level of belt 33. l

At the same time a tray, previously loaded scribed and an additionalmeans is employed to complete the horizontal movement. Such meansconsist of .two tray pushers 57 which are pivoted at one end to thelower ends of two arms 58, fixed in axially spaced relation on a crossshaft 59, mounted in frame B. Also fixed on this shaft is an arm 60, tothe end of which is pivotally connected one end of a link 61, which nearits other end is slotted to fit over and be guided by shaft 54. A roll62 on link 61 engages a cam 63 on shaft 54, whereby the pushers 57 aremoved to the right, as viewed in Fig. 2, and a spring 64 connecting link60 to frame 13 moves the pushers in the opposite direction. The pushersare located in the path. of travel of the lugs 34 on trays t and havelatch like ends and are pivoted to arms 58, so that the pushers will bereadily lifted by he lugs as the tray is moved by chains 51 and dropbehind the lugs so as to be. available to push the tray after it ceasesto be moved by chains 51. The free ends of the pushers 57 are slidablysupported on brackets 57 attached to frame B (Fig. 5).

The confectionery coating machine, as above stated, may be of thegeneral type disclosed in the Magniez patent, above identilied, and thistype of coating machine is so well known that a description of it herein is unnecessary, except in so far as its operation is coordinated withthe apparatus heretofore described. In Fig. 1, a coating machine of thestated type has been illustrated in conventional fOl'Hl,-l11llCll of themechanism having been omitted. The closed casing of the machine is shownat C, within which the coating belt 33, above referred to, is mounted.The usual delivery belt, ordinarily taking coated confections from belt33, may be eliminated and the confections transferred directly from beltto plaques 17, as described. Confections, to be coated, are supplied tobelt 33 by a feed belt 70 of the usual type. In the upper part of themachine are three sets of speed changing devices, each consisting of twooppositely mounted cones 71 and 73 and a connecting belt Y2. The cones71 are drivers and the cones 73 are driven. The upper set of cones arefor driving certain parts of the coating machine with which thisinvention is not concerned. The set of cones 71 and 7 3 therebelow-those mounted on shafts l4 and 75, respectively,contro l the speed ofbelt 33 and shaft 75 is connected by the usual mechanism not shown tobelt The cones 71 and 73, for the lower se -ontrol the speed of the feedbelt and are mounted on shafts 76 and 77, respectively. Shaft 76 isconnected by spur gearing 78 to shaft 7a and shaft 77 is connected bythe usual mechanism (not shown) to drive feed belt 70.

For the purpose of stopping the belt 33, and incidentally the feed belt(0, i provide means for driving the shaft 74, and thus shaft 76, fromthe tray conveying apparatus and in timed relation with those conveyerswhich operate in a horizontal direction. This belt 33 will be stoppedduring the interval in which the conveyor chains 19 are operated andtherefore no confections will be delivered from belt 33 while the trays25 are being moved into and out of receiving relation therewith. Toaccomplish this result, I utilize shaft 721. (Fig. l) as a driver andconnect it by bevel gearing 79 with a shaft 80, which extends to casingC and is connected by spur gearing 81 to a shaft 82, which by bevelgearing 83 operates shaft '74, The gearing 79 and 81 is preferably suchas to increase the speed of shaft 74 over that of shaft on.

instead of driving the bolts 33 and 70 in this manner, they may bedriven continuously in the usual manner and the result described may beobtained by so spacing the confections fed to belt 33 that none willpass off the delivery end thereof while the trays t are moving into andout of receiving relation. To this end. I utilize in conjunction withfeed belt 70 a spacing means consisting of a number of groups of crossbars S t each of which extends between and is connected at its ends to apair of endless chains 85. Such chains are suitably mounted in a frameDior travel with their lower stretches resting on the feed belt 70.Chains 85 are driven from, and at the same speed as, belt 70 by a chain86 and suitable sprockets. The cross bars 8 f, which may be notched, ifdesired, as shown in Fig. 8, are arranged in groups, each comprising asuitable number to insure one load for a plaque 17, and there is a space87 between the groups in which no confections are placed. This space isso located relatively to the feed belt 70, and its longitudinal extentis such, that no confections will be delivered from belt 38 during theoperation of moving a tray into and out of receiving relation with thecoating machine.

The operation of the apparatus will sufficiently appear from theforegoing descriptlon.

The invention has been disclosed herein, in an embodiment at presentpreferred, for

illustrative purposes but the scope of the invention is defined by theappended claims rather than by the foregoing description.

Claims.

1, The combination with a confectionery coating machine, of means forsuccessively and automatically presenting trays into con- 'lectionreceiving relation therewith, and means for automatically removing thetrays after they have been loaded with the confec tions.

2. The combination with a confectionery coating machine, having aconfection carrying belt, of means for successively and automaticallypositioning trays with one end disposed in closely adjacent relationwith and in the same plane as the delivery end of said belt, and meansfor automatically removing the trays after they have been loaded withconfections.

3. The combination with a confectionery coating machine, of meansperiodically operable to move a tray carrying a relatively movableplaque into confection receiving relation with said machine, meansoperable while the tray is at rest in such relation to move said plaquerelatively to the tray, and means subsequently operable to remove thetray after said plaque has been loaded with the confections.

4t. The combination. with a confectionery coating machine, of meansperiodically operable to move a tray carrying a relatively movableplaque into confection receiving relation with said machine, meansoperable while the tray is at rest in such relation to move said plaquerelatively to the tray, means subsequently operable to remove the trayafter said plaque has been loaded with the confections, and meansoperable during the movement of the tray into confection receivingrelation to move the plaque in an opposite direction.

5. The combination with a confectionery coating machine, having aconfection carrying belt normally moving continuously, of intermittentlyoperable means to move a tray into confection receiving relation withsaid belt, and means for automatically stopping the movement of saidbelt during the interval in which the tray is moved into said relation.

6. The combination with a confectionery coating machine, having aconfection carryino; belt normally moving continuously, intermittentlyoperable means for moving one tray into confection receiving relationwith said belt and moving another tray out of such relation, and meansfor stopping the movement of said belt during said movements of thetrays.

7. The combination with a confectionery coating machine, having aconfection carrying belt normally moving continuously, of intermittentlyoperable means for movin a tra carr in a relativel move y y able plaqueinto confection receiving rela tion with said belt, means forautomatically stopping the movement of said belt during said movement ofthe tray, and means for moving said plaque during the operation of saidbelt.

8. The combination with a confectionery coating having a confectioncarrying belt normally moving continuously, of intermittently operablemeans for moving a tray carrying a relatively movable plaque intoconfection receiving relation with said belt, means for automaticallystopping the movement of said belt during said movement of the tray, andmeans for moving said plaque in the same direction as said belt duringthe period when the tray is positioned in said relation.

9. The combination with a confectionery coating machine, having aconfection carrying belt normally moving continuously, of intermittentlyoperable means for moving one tray carrying a relatively movable plaqueinto confection receiving relation with said belt and moving anothertray out of such relation, means for automatically stopping the movementof said belt during said movement of the trays, and means for moving theplaque on the first named tray while the latter is at rest in saidrelation and during the operation of said belt.

10. The combination with a confectionery coating machine and anapparatus wherein trays loaded with coated confections are conveyeduntil the coatingsare hardened, of mechanism operable to receive a trayfrom said apparatus, move it into confection receiving relation with thecoating machine and subsequently transfer the tray to said apparatus.

11. The combination with a confectionery coating machine and anapparatus wherein trays carrying relatively movable plaques loaded withcoated confections are conveyed until the coatings are hardened, ofmechanism operable to receive a tray from said apparatus, move it intoconfection receiving relation with the coating machine and subsequentlytransfer the tray to said apparatus, and means for automatically movingthe plaque: relatively to its tray while the latter is in confectionreceiving relation with the coating machine. 7

12. The combination with a confectionery coating machine and anapparatus wherein trays carrying relatively movable plaques loaded withcoated confections are conveyed until the coatings are hardened, ofmechanism operable to receive a tray from said apparatus, move it intoconfection receiving relation with the coating machine and subsequentlytransfer the tray to said apparatus, and means operable by the movementof a succeeding tray toward confection receiving relation with thecoating machine to move the plaque on the tray already positioned insuch relation.

13. The combination with a confection coating machine and an apparatuswherein trays carrying relatively movable plaques loaded with coatedconfections are conveyed until the coatings are hardened, of mechanismoperable to receive a tray from a said apparatus, move it intoconfection receiving relation with the coating machine and subsequentlytransfer the tray to said apparatus, means for automatically moving theplaque relatively to its tray while the latter is in confectionreceiving relation with the coating machine, and-means for restoring theplaque to its original position relatively to its tray before the latteris again presented to the coating machine.

14. The combination with a confectionery coating machine and anapparatus wherein trays carrying relatively movable plaques loaded withcoated confections are conveyed until the coatings are hardened, ofmechanism operable to receive a tray from said apparatus, move it intoconfection receiving relation with the coating machine and subsequentlytransfer the tray to said apparatus, means for automatically moving theplaque relatively to its tray while the 'latter is in confectionreceiving relation with the coating machine, and means operable duringthe subsequent transfer of the tray from said apparatus to the coatingmachine to restore the plaque to its original position relatively to itstray.

15. The combination with a confectionery coating machine and, anapparatus wherein trays carrying relatively movable plaques loaded withcoated confections are conveyed until the coatings are hardened. ofmechanism operable to receive a tray from said apparatus, move it intoconfection receiving relation with the coating machine and subsequentlytransfer the tray to said apparatus, means operable by the movement of asucceeding tray toward confection receiving relation with the coatingmachine to move the plaque on that tray already positioned in suchrelation, and means for restoring the plaque to its original positionrelatively to its tray before the latter is again presented to thecoating machine.

16. The combination with a confectionery coating machine and anapparatus wherein trays carrying relatively movable plaques loaded withcoated confections are conveyed until the coatings are hardened. ofmechanism operable to receive atray from said apparatus, move it intoconfection receiving relation with the coating machine and subsequentlytransfer the tray to said apparatus, means operable by the movement of asucceeding tray toward confection receiving relation with the coatingmachine to mo re the plaque on that tray alrea sitioned in suchrelation, ant mean able during the subsequent trans er tray from saidapparatus to the coat" machine to restore the plaque to its orig-- inalposition relatively to its tray.

17. The combination with a confectionery coating machine, having aconfection cai ing belt, and an apparatus wherein trays loaded withcoateo confections are conveyed until the coatings are hardened; ofmechanisni operable to receive a tray from said apparatus, move it intoconfection receiving relation with the coating machine and subsequentlytransfer the tray to said a; paratus, and auxiliary means for aiiu oneend of the tray with the delivery end of said belt.

18. The combination with confectionery coating machine, having aconfection carrying belt. and an apparatus, wherein loaded with coatedconfections are conveyed until. the coatings are hardened; of mechanismoperable to receive a tray from s'iid apparatus, move it into confectionreceivinc relation with the coating; n'iachine and subsequently transferthe tray to said apparatus, and supplementary means capable of movingthe tray vertically and horizontally into a predetermined position withrespect to the delivery end of said belt.

1.9. The combination with a con'l'eccio coating machine. having aconfection car inn; belt normally moving continuous y.

intermittently operable means for pi ing trays carrying rel.ativel me. aplaques into confection receiving relation with said belt. meansoperable while the tray is at rest in such relation to more said plaqueto receive the confections delivered v said belt, and means forassisting i: spacing the confections on said belt so tha. no confectionswill pass off said belt while said tray is in motion.

20. The combination with a confectionery coating machine. having: a conftion carry-- inn belt normally moving" continuously, of intermittentlyoperable means for prese l.- ing trays carrying relatively movableplaques into confection receiving relation with said belt. meansoperable while the tray is at rest in such relation to more SilCl plaqueto receive the confections deliv red by said belt, and means forassisting in spacing the confections on said. belt i groups eachsufiicient for one plaque with a space between the groups so that noconfections will pass off said belt while said tray is in motion.

21. The combination with a confection carrying belt, of intermittentlyoperable means for moving trays vertically into and out of the plane ofsaid belt and in path such that one end of each tray is carried intoclosely adjacent relation with the deliv- 111(1'105; opcr .ble as he LMile of said end thereery end of 2 id he in and each tray is nioied beltto more the i of into substani; nous rclatimi with end of said :22. Thecombimf carrying belt. inlerinit'. means for moving); trays ine one trayappronnnatel; to the plane t i Q 1, r 1: a i My )Al Lilp (chil /ell.ell. UL 0.. @(Ab ailC U1- thzr tray out or plane c said belt and one endof each tray path such that lQti into closely ttCijilCBUi] relation witha confection tiy operable 'ily and mori h; rv end of said belt. andmeans .i the first tray has been moved ap ioxiniatcly into saidposiliioi'i to carry one end of the ray into the same plane as said endof said belt.

The ccmbinatim with a confection carryii i;- b lt, of i atly operableinea s for moving carry n relatively movable plaques step by step in avertical. pa h. such that one end of each tray passes adjacent relat nto the delivery of said belt, said means coming to rest ii position thatone tray is always ntiall i' into the same level as end of said belt,means lirst named means is at ccessirely sir) ply trays ther to and intime more the plaque on that posiaoned on the level of said belt.

l J, combinat on with a confection carr t of a abutment closely Hui '2thereof, a series oi c each havin ed on each t1 l A V i st lined planeadjacent the deliver of belt, intermittently operable means tosuccessively move trays in a sub vertical path adjacent said abutientand plane and into approximately the plane of said belt, and meansoperable as each tray comes to rest in the last named plane to move ithorizontally to carry one end thereof up said inclined plane and againstsaid abutment.

26. The combination with a tray convey ing apparatus. wherein the loadedtrays are carried away by a vertical conveyor and unloaded trays aredelivered by horizontal conveyer, of means for receivlng a traydelivered by the horizontal conveyer, intermittently operable mechanismfor taking the tray from said receiving means and carrying it step bystepin a vertical path in parallel. and adjacent relation to saidvertical conveyer, and intermittently operable mechanism effectiveduring the interval of rest of the first named mechanism to transfer thetray from the first mechanism and insert it in said vertical conveyer. i

27. The combination with a tray conveying apparatus, wherein the loadedtrays are carried away by a vertical conveyer and unloaded trays aredelivered by a horizontal conveyer, of means for receiving a traydelivered by the horizontal conveyor, intermittently operable mechanismfor taking the tray from said receiving means and carrying it step bystep in a vertical path in parallel and adjacent relation to saidvertical conveyer, an intermittently operable endless conveyer effectiveduring the interval of rest of said mechanism to move the tray out ofthe first named mechanism and insert it partially into said verticalconveyer, and supplementary means to move the tray the remainingdistance and into a predetermined position in said vertical conveyer.

28. The combination with a tray, having a plaque movably mountedthereon, of means for automatically loading said plaque withconfections, means for moving the plaque relatively to the tray duringthe loading operation, conveying means to carry the tray through apredetermined path during which the confections may be removed from theplaques and to carry the tray back to its original position, and meansoperable prior to the return of the tray to move the plaque in anopposite direction.

29. The combination with a tray, having a plaque mounted in endless beltform thereon and an operating member for such plaque, of means forsupporting. a pair of such. trays in adjacent relation, means on onetray for engaging the plaque operating member of the other tray, andmeans for relatively shifting the trays to engage the last named meanswith said operating member and move the plaque.

30. The combination with a tray, having a plaque movably mountedthereon, of means for automatically depositing confections on theplaque, and means for moving the plaque relatively to the tray'duringthe depositing operation.

31. The combination with a tray, having a plaque movably mountedthereon, of means for automatically depositing confections on theplaque, means for moving the plaque relatively to the tray during thedepositing operation, and means for conveying the loaded tray away andpositioning an empty tray in operative relation with the depositingmeans.

32. The combination with a confection carrying belt, of a stationaryabutment and a stationary inclined plane adjacent the delivery end ofsaid belt, intermittently operable means to successively move trays in asubstantially vertical path adjacent said abutment and plane and intoapproximately the plane of said belt, and means operable as each traycomes to rest in the last named plane to move it horizontally to carryone end thereof up said inclined plane and against said abutment, saidlast named means having associated therewith a yieldable connectionpermitting continued travel thereof after the tray has engaged saidabutment.

a plaque movably mounted thereon, of means for automatically depositingconfections on the plaque, means for moving the plaque relatively to thetray during the depositing operation, and means for conveying the trayloaded with confections through a cooling apparatus.

34L. The combination with a tray, having a plaque movably mountedthereon, of means for automatically depositing confections on theplaque, means for moving the plaque relatively to the tray during thedepositing operation, means for conveying the tray loaded withconfections through a cooling apparatus, and reconveying it intoreceiving relation with said depositing means, and means for againmoving the plaque relatively to the tray before it is again positionedin said relation.

In testimony whereof I have aliixed my signature.

ALONZO LINTON BAUSMAN.

33. The combination with a tray, having

